Most fans were disappointed (to say the least) by X-Men: The Last Stand, which took one of the most popular X-Men arcs — The Dark Phoenix Saga — and turned it into an Evanescence music video that ultimately did Jean Grey and Scott Summers a major disservice. But Bryan Singer is getting another chance with the beloved mutant couple in X-Men: Apocalypse, which will effectively reboot the characters thanks to that timeline reset in Days of Future Past. Singer shares some thoughts on what we can expect from the newer, younger duo, giving us hope for a little Dark Phoenix redemption.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Singer explains where Jean and Scott are when we meet them in Apocalypse and teases their blossoming relationship:

In the beginning, she’s the last thing he’s interested in. When he first comes to the mansion, Scott’s blind so he can’t see her. Suddenly he gets some glasses and now he can see her and he’s like ‘Oh! That’s Jean Grey.’ Both of them are misfits in a way. Other mutants have settled in with their powers. This is all new to Scott Summers and he doesn’t like it and he doesn’t like school. And Jean she has not only has her telekenisis and her telepathy but she also knows inherently that something darker and more powerful is growing inside her and she doesn’t quite know what it is.

Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner is playing Jean opposite Tye Sheridan’s Scott / Cyclops. They aren’t the only younger versions of established X-Men characters introduced in Apocalypse, but Scott and Jean are arguably the most interesting of the new cast members given their popularity among fans. And yet some skepticism remains as Singer is sticking with the origin of the Phoenix power Brett Ranter used in The Last Stand; instead of depicting Phoenix as a powerful entity from space, it’s another mutant ability hidden deep with Jean’s dominant ability.

To be fair, The Dark Phoenix Saga would never work as a straight adaptation — it’s just too wacky and convoluted, and very much a product of its time (the late ’70s) — but the emotional journey of Jean and Scott and many of the dramatic narrative elements therein could make for a great movie plot.

After Apocalypse, Singer is taking a break to work on 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but he recently said that he still has ideas for future X-Men films and isn’t ready to abandon the franchise just yet. It’s unclear if Singer will revisit the Dark Phoenix plot in another sequel, but by re-introducing this power in Apocalypse, it seems like he’s at least leaving the door open.